Sight for firearms.



SIGHT FOR FIREAEMS.

APPLIGATION FILED 1320.28, 1912.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.l

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

zventars.' joer Z warner ll/73665 es R. L. WARNER & A. O. NIEDNER.

SIGHT FOR FIRBARMS.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.28, 1912.

Patented Jn. 13, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

adazpiz 0. filed-ner eisi'auaisiar san Mtl eine f m ROBERT L. WARNER, 0FCONCORD, .AND ADOLPH O. NIEDNER, OF MALDEN, MASSA- CHUSETTS; SAIDNIEDNER ASSIGNOR TO SAID WARNER.

SIG-HT FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT L. WARNER, of Concord, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, and ADoLPH O. NIEDNER, of Malden,in said county and State, have invented a new and useful Sight forFirearms, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of our invention is to have a rear sight at differentelevations and other objects are to do this with simple and compactmechanism especially adapted for use in actual warfare although ourinventilgn may well be used with firearms genera y.

Our invent-ion consists essentially in a plurality of movable rearsights and mechanism to move the desired sight into operative position.Other features of our invention will be pointed out below.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a iirearm embodyingour invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the front portion of the firearmshowing the front sight; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the firearm shown inFig. l; Fig. 4 is an elevation of that portion shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, some of the parts being omitted forthe sake of clearness; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in sectionillus trating the spring for holding the target gage; Fig. 7 is apartial section and partial end view on line 7 7 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is aplan of a modification; Fig. 9 is an elevation thereof; and Fig. 10 is asection on line 10-10 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 illustrates a modiiication,enlarged.

A is the stock of a rifle, B being the barrel upon the front end ofwhich is mounted a front sight D. The ordinary wind gage E is mounted toswing in the usual way on its bed F and near its rear end carries ateach side bearing members Gr and in these bearings shaft H is mounted torotate, this shaft having integral with it or otherwise rigidlyconnected to it leaves 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the outer edges of theseleaves being at different and progressively increasing distances fromthe axis of the shaft and each edge being notched as at 6 to form a rearsight, the face of each leaf toward the barrel being cut away at 8adjacent to each notch so that the leaf is comparatively thin near thenotch and therefore gives better light in the immediate neighborhood ofeach sight. Mounted on shaft H and preferably integral therewith is apentagonal portion K, there being a similar pentagonal portion K at theother side of the leaves both portions K and K being adjacent to theleaves, the reason for two portions being that there is more symmetry inthe neighborhood of the sight which is important for accurate sightingalthough so far as the function of these portions is concerned one woulddo because the function is to engage a spring to be later described forholding the desired sight in the desired position.

In the form of Figs. l and 3 the ordinary target gage is providedconsisting of arms L and L connected by portion L2 and a guiding sightmember L3. Each of these arms is pivoted on shaft I-I, both arms beingoutside of the pentagonal portions previously referred to. On the end ofshaft H is a turn button -M for rotating the shaft.- In chamber N in thewind gage is mounted leaf spring N which engages the desired face of thepentagonal portion K (or a leaf spring could engage portion K ifdesired) to hold the desired leaf and its sight in the desired location.In said chamber N are also mounted two springs N2 to hold the targetgage in its vertical position.

Many military officers desire to be able at a glance to see from behinda squad of men firing, how their sights are set. Therefore, we provideupon the five surfaces of portion K enamel of differing colors, as forexample: red, white, blue, yellow and black. If, then, an officer hasgiven the order to fire at 300 yards he can, from behind his men,observe whether all their sights are turned to blue (the color for 300yards) at the top, and if any be wrong, can call attention to the fact.This will be especially important in case of a company of men under fireturning their fire against enemies entrenched at different ranges7 foran oflicer can direct ten men to iire at a trench 200 yards away, andanother ten at 300 yards distance, and can observe whether they havecomplied with orders, which would be impossible otherwise without closepersonal eX- amination of each gun.

In the form of Figs. 8 to 10 the target gage is mounted on a pivot Pwhich is distinct from the pivot H of the rotary rear sight member bothpivots being mounted on bearings H2 and in this form the spring forholding the target sight elevated is P which is mounted on the wind gageand to the under side of P is connected leaf spring P2 which has a noseP3 to enter between two adjacent leaves and thereby hold the rotarymember in the desired position it being clear that in this form therotary member can only rotate in one direction. In this form apentagonal surface P4 adjacent to the turn button is provided havingindicating figures upon it to show what rear sight is in operativeposition. In this form the leaves 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are slightly widerthan in the form previously described but the principle of thisembodiment is substantially the same as of the embodiment illustrated inFigs. 1 to 7. IVe prefer the form of Figs. 1 and 3 because it is morecompact and there is less likelihood of dust and dirt and other foreignmatter getting into the chamber below the rotary member. The five ormore, or less, leaves R of the sight, instead of being arranged as opensights with notches in the edges, may, if desired, be leaves eachcontaining a little peep hole r, these peep holes set at diiferentdistances from the axis for firing at various ranges; as for example,100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 yards. Many riflemen prefer a peep sight foraccurate work, and can in this manner be accommodated, this form beingillustrated in Fig. 11.

In using our device the turn button M is rotated to bring the desiredsight into the desired position, the edge of leaf 1 being nearest to theaxis of the rotary member and the edge of leaf 2 being farther from theaxis than the edge of leaf 1 and so on. lVhen the rotary member has beenturned so that the desired sight is in the desired position the spring Nin the form of Figs. 1 to 7 engages the pentagonal portion to hold thesight against rotation while in the form of Figs. 8 to 10 the nose ofthe spring P2 engages the side of the leaf itself.

Although we have shown five leaves any desired number may be used.

A great advantage of our invention is that the user of the firearm maykeep his eye continually on the object and need not look at the rotarymember in order to bring the desired sight into operation as he cannotonly hear the click of the engagement between the spring and the rotarymember but he can also feel the resistance as the spring passes over theseveral sharp corners between adjacent surfaces of the pentagonal memberas in Figs. 1 to 7.

Another advantage of our invention is that the rear sights are on rigidmembers so that their distances from vthe axis of the rotary member willnot change even after considerable use and this, of course, tends toaccurate shooting.

Another important advantage is mounting the spring below the rotarymember so that it not only does not interfere with sighting but will beprotected from foreign matter and accidental blows.

Our sight, when arranged with a spring bearing on the flat surfaces of apentagonal piece, may be revolved in either direction, and in this casewe provide a stop pin t engaging pins s s on the rotary member andpreventing its rotation backward beyond the lowest sight or forwardbeyond the highest sight. Thus the operator without looking at the sightcould always tell quickly where to set it for a given range.

Our present form of sight can be made entirely separate from the targetsight, so that our form, which we may call a battle sight or servicesight, could be applied to arms kept in armories for reserve troops, andthe combination for the target sight used only on arms regularlyemployed by militia engaged at target practice, but likely to be calledinto action. |The battle sight only would be better for raw recruits,who, never having been under fire, should be relieved of attention toany mechanisms, except those actually needed for eiiicient fighting.

lVe prefer to have the surfaces of the pen-1 tagonal portions K and K atequal distances from the axis so that the tension on the spring will bethe same in changing the rotary member from one position to another.

`What we claim is:

1. A sight for firearms having a rotary member whose rotation provides asight at progressively different elevations in combination with a springto engage said rotary member to hold it in the desired position and astop to limit the movement of said rotary member.

2. A sight for firearms comprising a rotary member whose axis iscrosswise of the firearm and having a plurality of leaves each leafcarrying a sight, said sights being spaced apart and being atprogressively increasing distances from the axis of said rotary member;and a spring to hold said member in the desired position.

3. A sight for firearms comprising a rotary member whose axis iscrosswise of the firearm and having a plurality of at least threeleaves, each leaf carrying a sight, said sights being spaced apart andbeing at progressively increasing distances from the axis of said rotarymember; a spring to hold said member in the desired position; and a stopto limit the rotary movement of said member.

4. A sight for firearms comprising a rotary member whose axis iscrosswise of the firearm and having a plurality of at least threeleaves, each leaf having a notch, said notches being at progressivelyincreasing distances from the axis of said rotary mem @n @EQMTRKALENSTRUMNT@ ber and spaced from each other and of substantially the samedepth; a spring to hold the rotary member in the desired position; and astop to limit the rotary movement of said member.

5. A device of the character described comprising a movable Wind gageWith a a plurality of leaves on the shaft, each leaf having a sight atits out-er edge, said edges being at progressively increasing distancesfrom the axis of said member, and having also a portion vvith a.polygonal periphery; and a` spring to engage said periphery and therebyhold the desired sight in operative position.

6. A device of the character described comprising a movable Wind gageWith a chamber; a rotary member mounted on said gage and having aplurality of sights at progressively increasing distances from the axisof said member; and a spring in said chamber to engage said rotarymember beneath the latter and thereby hold the desired sight inoperative position.

7. A device of the character described comprising a rotary member havinga plurality of sights at progressively increasing distances from theaxis of said member; a shaft for said member; and a second membercarrying a sight and mounted to rotate on said shaft.

8. A device of the character described comprising a rotary member havinga plurality of leaves, each leaf having a sight at its outer edge, saidedges being at progressively increasing distances from the axis of saidmember, and each leaf having also a cut-away portion on the surfacetoward the muzzle of the firearm and adjacent to its sight; and abearing for said rotary member.

9. A sightl for firearms comprising a rotary member Whose axis iscrossvvise of the firearm; said member being mounted to move bodilycrossvvise of the firearm and having a plurality of leaves, each leafcarrying a sight and said sights being at progressively increasingdistances from the axis of said rotary member; and a spring to hold saidmember in the desired position.

10. A sight for firearms comprising a r0- tary member Whose axis iscrosswise of t-he firearm, said member being mounted to move bodilycrossvvise of the firearm but remaining at a constant vertical distancefrom the firearm and having a plurality of at least three leaves, eachhaving a not-ch and all the notches being of substantially the samedepth, said notches being at progressively increasing distances from theaxis of said rotary member and spaced from each other; a spring to holdsaid member in the desired rotative position; and a stop to limit therotary movement of said member.

l1. A sight for firearms having a rotary 6 5 member Whose rotationprovides a sight at progressively different elevations in combinat-ionwith a spring to engage said rotary member While the latter is rotatingand hold said rotary member in the desired position of rest; and a stopto limit the movement of said rotary member.

12. A sight for firearms having a rotary member Whose rotation providesa sight at progressively different elevations, the axis of said rotarymember being cross-Wise of the firearm, in combination with a spring toengage said rotary member to hold it in the desired position and a stopto prevent rotation of said member beyond a predetermined point.

13. A sight for firearms comprising a rotary member Whose axis iscross-Wise of the firearm and having a plurality of leaves each leafcarrying a sight, said sights being at progressively increasingdistances from the axis of said rotary member; and means to hold saidmember in the desired position.

ROBERT L. WARNER. ADOLPH O. NIEDNER. Witnesses to signature of R. L.Warner:

T. B. SWEENEY, A. A. RIDGEWAY. Witnesses to signature of A. O. Niedner:

H. W. Roenes, A. A. RIDGEWAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

